The present disclosure relates to an image processing device and method, a recording medium, and a program, and particularly relates to an image processing device and method, a recording medium, and a program, whereby stereoscopic effect of multi-viewpoint images can be controlled.
Heretofore, various imaging apparatuses have been proposed and developed. Also, there have been proposed imaging apparatuses which perform predetermined image processing on imaged data obtained by imaging, following which the imaged data is output.
For example, there has been proposed an imaging apparatus employing what is called “light field photography”, referred to as a “light field camera” (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-165115). This imaging apparatus includes an imaging lens, a microlens array, an imaging device, and an image processing unit, with an aperture diaphragm having a single aperture being provided to the middle portion of the imaging lens. Due to this configuration, imaged data acquired by the imaging device includes, in addition to intensity distribution of light at the light receiving face, information of the direction of travel of light as well. The configuration also allows an observation image at any field of view or focal point to be reconstructed at the image processing unit.
Multiple microlenses are provided to the microlens array, with multiple pixels of the imaging device being assigned to each microlens. Accordingly, by collecting pixel values of pixels each in the same position as to each microlens, for example, image data obtained by performing photoelectric conversion of incident light each from the same direction (i.e., an image from one direction) can be obtained. In the same way, by managing the pixel values in accordance with the positions thereof, multiple images of viewpoints which differ from each other (i.e., a multi-viewpoint image) can be obtained.